Essay Writing Workshop: Build Stronger Essays

Transform Your Student’s Writing: Master Essay Skills

In this workshop-style class, students go beyond the basics of essay writing. Each week, they’ll focus on a specific skill—like writing stronger thesis statements, using smoother transitions, or sharpening analysis—and immediately apply it to their own work. I provide detailed, personalized feedback on key assignments so learners can revise, grow, and build confidence.

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📝 Is your student ready to take their writing further?

This course helps them build clear, structured, and thoughtful essays while practicing a variety of styles—from narrative to persuasive to informative. We revisit the full writing process each week, so learners internalize how to brainstorm, plan, draft, and revise effectively—no matter the prompt.

Whether your learner is stuck in formulaic writing or just ready for more challenge, this class meets them where they are and helps them level up their skills with structure and support.


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📝 What Your Student Will Learn

This class helps students explore a variety of essay types through rotating weekly prompts. They’ll practice writing from start to finish with in-class drafting time, and each week focuses on one specific writing skill. The full writing process is revisited regularly, helping students build lasting strategies and confidence.

Lessons are designed with a manageable focus so learners can build a strong foundation without feeling overwhelmed.

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📝 Weekly Experience

Each class begins with a quick overview of what essays are, how the writing process works, and an introduction to the specific type of essay students will focus on that week. From there, students are given structured prompts and time to begin planning their essays.

Later in the class, we shift to guided instruction on a specific writing skill—such as adding stronger evidence or improving organization—that connects directly to their work-in-progress.

This format allows students to engage with the writing process step by step, while also receiving focused instruction to help them strengthen their skills in real time.

A detailed schedule of essay types and weekly skill focus is included at the end of this description for families who want to know what to expect.

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📝 Who This Class Is For

This class is a great fit for students who already understand the basics of essay structure and want to take their writing further. It’s especially helpful for learners who want to write with more clarity and depth, who need support turning “okay” writing into something stronger, and who are ready for the next step in middle or early high school writing.

While it’s not designed for total beginners, it offers a supportive, flexible environment for students ready to grow.

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📝 How Feedback & Participation Work

Participation during class is flexible—students can join in through speaking, chat, or simply listening. Learners are encouraged to submit their essays each week to receive detailed, personalized video feedback focused on the weekly writing skill. 

Because the class follows a rotating weekly structure, students can join at any time.


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📝 Essay types are listed by week below, as well as the specific skill focused on in class.  

Week of March 17: Narrative: including descriptive language
Week of March 24: Informative: paraphrasing evidence / research
Week of March 30: Definition (in-depth focus on term / concept / idea): descriptive hooks in introductions 
Week of April 7: Opinion: brainstorming / focusing ideas
Week of April 14: Analysis: managing time for timed / standardized tests
Week of April 21:Argumentative: using direct quotes
Week of April 28: Informative Compare / Contrast: word choice
Week of May 5: Persuasive: eliminating second person
Week of May 12:  Narrative: active, vivid verbs (eliminating to-be verbs)
Weeks of May 19 and 26-- no classes
Week of June 2: Informative: writing clear thesis statements
Week of June 9: Persuasive: consistent verb tense and point of view
Week of June 16: Narrative: transition sentences
Week of June 23: Informative: conclusions (including restating thesis statements)
Week of June 30: Opinion: outlines
Week of July 7: Analysis: CER for expanding ideas and including analysis
Week of July 14: Argumentative: dealing with a counterargument
Week of July 21: Informative (compare and contrast): using formal, academic language
Week of July 28: Persuasive: MLA formatting

Additional lessons may be added, and these will all rotate through again throughout the year. 

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📝 If your learner needs an in-depth class to build foundational essay skills, please check out this Informative Research Essay class:

Live Version
https://outschool.com/classes/informative-expository-explanatory-research-essay-a-step-by-step-approach-gVAL0qKb

Self-Paced, Middle School
https://outschool.com/classes/writing-an-informative-explanatory-expository-research-essay-ayseb4re

Self-Paced, High School
https://outschool.com/classes/writing-an-informative-explanatory-expository-research-essay-KDehUvco